With increase in obesity patients in recent years, obesity has become a serious problem for public health. As onset of obesity is due to excess in calorie intake in most cases, the most effective means for treating or preventing obesity is decrease in calorie intake.
Patients will complain of strong feeling of hunger when calorie intake is decreased, and alleviation of the feeling is considered to be a top-priority problem.
It has long been known that mechanical extension of the stomach inhibits appetite. In this respect, there are employed the balloon method in which a balloon is detained inside the stomach or the stapler method in which a greater part of the stomach is obstructed to much reduce volume of the stomach so that intake of even a small amount of food exerts stimulation of mechanically extending the stomach.
However, these methods are not desirable in that they are a permanent treatment requiring surgical operation and are possibly associated with side reactions.
There are also commercialized a large number of foods containing a viscous dietary fiber for the therapy of obesity. They are not satisfactory in controlling appetite because of their shorter retention time in the stomach. In addition, although retention time in the stomach can be prolonged as the viscosity increases, highly viscous dietary fiber solution was difficult to receive and was also problematic in taste.
Diabetes mellitus is treated by reduction of diet. The disease is broadly divided into insulin-dependent diabetes (lean type) and insulin-independent diabetes (fat type), in both of which marked reduction of glucose tolerance in patients causes rapid rise in blood glucose level if ordinary food is taken in an ordinary manner thereby developing symptom of hyperglycemia. The hyperglycemia will eventually induce concurrent diseases such as retinitis, nephropathy and disturbance of consciousness. Diabetic patients, especially insulin-dependent diabetic patients, therefore, are treated in such a way that required calorie is given in divided doses in order to prevent rapid rise of blood glucose level. This is troublesome to both the patient and his family.
Dietary fiber is used as food material for patients with glucose intolerance with an attempt to delay absorption of saccharide. Since delivery fiber must be given in a large amount for such a purpose, it is difficult to receive it.
Moreover, intake of a large amount of a dietary fiber inhibits intestinal absorption of nutrients to cause malnutrition of the patient.